Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has commissioned the 55-room ORIS Signature Hotel in Aba, calling on investors who relocated from the state to return and take advantage of the improving business environment.
Otti, who spoke at the commissioning ceremony, congratulated the hotel’s Chief Executive Officer, Owelle Greg Okafor, for completing the project within two years and a few months.
The governor said Aba had witnessed significant changes since his administration assumed office, noting that the city previously grappled with poor road infrastructure and struggling industries.
He said the completion of the hotel and its reported high demand before commissioning reflected the growing investment opportunities in the commercial city.
“My understanding is that this hotel project started early in 2024, and two years plus a few months later, he has delivered it,” Otti said.
“I understand we have over 55 rooms here, and I’m told it is already being sold out even before commissioning. So, it tells me that the opportunities here are endless.”
The governor urged investors who had moved their businesses out of Abia to return, assuring them of his administration’s commitment to sustaining a business-friendly environment.
He said the state had only begun to realise its development potential, promising more infrastructure and development projects if his administration secures a second term.
Otti also disclosed that the Radisson Blu Enyimba Hotel in Aba would soon be ready, expressing confidence that it would attract strong patronage.
“This town will continue to grow. All our people who relocated, we are asking them to come back quickly. A lot of them are already back,” he said.
“Never again will this town go back to where we are coming from.”
Speaking at the event, the Mayor of Aba North, Timothy Iheke, commended the governor for creating an environment that has encouraged investment and boosted economic activities in Aba North and the state.
Iheke said property values in the area had appreciated significantly, attributing the development to renewed investor confidence. He also praised Okafor for investing in the city.
Earlier, the General Manager of ORIS Signature Hotel, Sharon Mani, described the facility as a 55-room hospitality establishment equipped with modern amenities.
Mani said the company was encouraged to invest in Abia by the business environment created under the Otti administration and thanked the hotel’s chief executive for his vision.
Speaking on behalf of the Aba business community, industrialist Leo Ike Okoye thanked the governor for his commitment to improving the business environment.
Okoye also called on residents to support Otti’s re-election bid in 2027, saying continuity would sustain the development taking place across the state.
In his vote of thanks, Okafor expressed appreciation to the governor for his administration’s efforts to improve Aba, saying the progress recorded had encouraged investment in the city.
The ceremony was attended by the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa; lawmakers; the Commissioner for Culture, Arts and Creative Economy, Matthew Ekwuribe; other commissioners; and the mayors of Aba North and Aba South, among other dignitaries.
